Tips to Help Share Your Story

Ultimately, the choice to disclose is yours. You can write your story for yourself, share it with close friends and family, or open it up for the world to see. Only you know which path is best for you.

There are pros and cons to disclosing your experiences with mental or emotional illness. Below is a list of benefits and costs that you should consider before sharing your story in public:

Benefits

You no longer have to worry about hiding your illness

You can be more open about your day-to-day life

You may gain approval from others who better understand what you go through

You may find others who have had similar experiences to you

You may find someone who can help you in the future

You are promoting your sense of personal power

You are living testimony against stigma

Costs

Others may disapprove of your mental illness or your disclosure

Others may gossip about you

Others may exclude you from social gatherings

Others may exclude you from work, housing, or other opportunities

You may begin to worry about what others are thinking of you or think that they are pitying you

Future relapses may be more stressful because more people are watching

Family members and others may be angry that you disclosed

Be yourself. Good stories are personal. Use everyday language and write with first-person words like "me", "I", and "my".